Presents alternatives to three misconceptions about bilingual learners to promote the revaluing of these students. Describes traditional views of literacy instruction for second-language learners and suggests a whole-language literature program as an alternative. Lays out differences between inauthentic, controlled literature-based reading…

Describes how a first-grade bilingual program in Tucson, Arizona became class pen pals throughout the year with inner-city second graders from Toledo, Ohio. Notes that this would prove beneficial for lessons in reading and writing and would promote their knowledge about their city and state. Discusses how it expanded into cross-curricular lessons…

Presents historical and political contexts for discussing language maintenance and development in Scotland, explaining that research findings rarely have an impact on policy. While good practice exists in the maintenance of Gaelic and British Sign Language, these is a significant lack of support for other languages, and provision for all community…

Examines the relationship between language use in Maltese bilingual classrooms and societal contexts within which the classrooms are embedded, explaining that the use of Maltese and English for instruction reflects the functions of each language in society. Discusses code switching and terminology switching and explains how the discursive and…

Examines current controversies and challenges in bilingual education, reviewing the case for bilingual education and the research supporting it. Makes suggestions for improving bilingual education, which include enriching the print environment and using heritage language development. Discusses research findings on challenges to bilingual…

This article provides school-based consultants with an overview of the English language learner (ELL) student population and common programs available to ELL students (such as English-only programs, pull-out English as a second language [ESL], content-based ESL, transitional bilingual programs, maintenance bilingual programs, and two-way or dual…

Among the many factors associated with Latino students' educational outcomes, two stand out: culture and bilingualism. The first manifests itself in multiple national origins, traditions, and histories. These interact with American culture, producing unique sociocultural and socioeconomic outcomes. More than anything, however, what impacts Latino…

This article describes the development of a Spanish-spelling measure designed to assess the progress made by Spanish-English bilingual children from Grade 2 to Grade 5. Different stages of measure development are described, such as the selection of the focus features, the pilot phase of the assessment, and the finalizing of the operational…

In response to the underachievement of its Latino children, one district implemented Parent Partnership for Achieving Literacy (PAL), a program to build cultural bridges between home and school. Professional development (PD) that helped mainstream teachers develop cultural competence to work effectively with Latino children and their families was…

Spanish was the first language of the majority of the author's 9th and 10th grade students who came from the Caribbean and Central and South America. Parents often worked late hours, and many students were employed, or had family responsibilities after school. Based on the realities of their lives, her students' engagement in reading was…

The College Bound Program was designed to help educationally disadvantaged and linguistically isolated 9th to 12th grade pupils improve their skills in reading and mathematics. Students were exposed to 40 minutes of daily instruction, five days per week, for a full year in both subject areas. Each day's exposure was remedial in orientation and…

The work involved in preparing writing skill specifications that could be used to determine bilingual students' entry into and exit from bilingual programs is described in this paper. The first section of the paper details the steps involved in identifying the critical writing skills required in grades one through six, while the second section…

One of four reports describing the basic skills programs in writing, reading, English as a second language (ESL), and mathematics at the City University of New York (CUNY), this volume describes the ESL program designed for students who do not meet CUNY's standards for minimum competency in writing and reading or higher standards set by the…

This program, included in "Effective Reading Programs...," annually serves about 4000 disadvantaged students in grades nine through twelve in 50 high schools. Many of the students are black or Spanish-speaking and come from low-income homes in the inner city. The program, begun in 1969, is designed to provide individualized tutoring in…

Discusses the positive aspects of a program that allows students to provide instruction for one another in their native languages and explains that children may absorb a number of facts from such instruction. (DF)